Blog Archives

Matt Parrish (@Schmadvertising) from Wedway Radio joins the show this week as he and Josh discuss the television cartoon boom starting in the late 1980s and going all through the 1990s. Discussing what led to Disney pushing for more syndicated television shows instead of adding to their lineup on the then premium Disney Channel. The introduction of shows like Gummi Bears brought interest from children to a Disney product on television but the television model was perfected by Disney until their biggest hit, DuckTales.

DuckTales not only started a Disney television renaissance, it started a boom from several studios to produce children’s television that expanded beyond the limits of Saturday morning. Soon we were seeing children’s animated programming everywhere including weekday afternoons and Disney held the market there with it’s television block called “Disney Afternoon”. The block debuted a number of Disney shows including Darkwing Duck, Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers, Tale Spin, Good Troop, and many more.

DuckTales also expanded beyond the network television scene with comics, video games, and merchandise. It was a sensation and rivaled any princess movie with a big fan base of not just kids. Now we look back with fondness at Uncle Scrooge, the money bin, that sweet theme song, and what DuckTales really meant to the Disney television renaissance.